Business crime (shoplifting)

Small local shops and large retailers/supermarkets lose hundreds to thousands of pounds every week due to theft, which is a major problem across the country.

The quality of CCTV systems have improved considerably in recent years and many shops employ part time/full time security guards to deter any potential opportunists, however this does not stop the most prolific offenders.

Town Centre NPT have been working with local retailers and analysing crime data, which led to identification of top 5 most prolific shoplifters affecting businesses not only in the Town Centre area, but across whole of Weston super Mare.

Investigation into offences committed by these individuals is ongoing as well as background work with local Anti Social Behaviour Team in order to compile evidence package towards ASB interventions available to police disposal in an attempt to tackle their prolific offending.

Actions

• 15 January 2025
  

  On Tuesday 14th January 2024, a third prolific shoplifter appeared before a judge at North Somerset Magistrates Court. He was sentenced to additional 8 weeks in prison and given a Criminal Behaviour Order for a period of 2 years with conditions around shoplifting.

  This is another positive result from the work of the Town Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team to tackle business crime.

• 1 January 2025
  

  The third prolific shoplifter, from the list of five, did not attend court on 17th December 2024. The matter has been rescheduled for 14th January 2025. In the meantime he was charged with further 4 offences and will be charged with another 7 shortly. He is currently in prison.

• 1 December 2024
  

  Another prolific shoplifter attended court on 12/11/24 and was found guilty of 10x shop thefts. On this occasion the court also issued a Criminal Behaviour Order to the defendant for a period of 2 years with conditions around his prolific shoplifting.

  A third offender, from the original list of five most prolific shoplifters, is attending court on 17th December 2024 for sentencing with regard to 8x shop lifts he had been charged with.

• 1 October 2024
  

  The first of the five, previously identified prolific offenders, attended court on 19/09/24 and was found guilty on 26x shop thefts. A Criminal Behaviour Order application had been prepared whilst the investigation into those offence was ongoing. The court issued the Criminal Behaviour Order to the defendant for a period of 3 years with conditions around his prolific shoplifting.